A senior Islamic State leader is believed to have been killed in a US-led drone strike, according to Afghanistan's ambassador to Pakistan.
Hafiz Saeed Khan, chief of a regional branch of the extremist organisation in Afghanistan and Pakistan, is said to have died in the joint US-Afghan operation.
His death along with at least 23 Isis commanders was also confirmed by a top Afghan security official in Kabul, according to Pakistani newspaper The Express Tribune, apparently dealing a major blow to the group's efforts to gain influence in Afghanistan and Pakistan's tribal regions.
The US military said it was investigating the claim.
Afghan Ambassador Omar Zakhilwal said: "I can confirm that Isis Khurasan leader Hafiz Saeed Khan along with his senior commanders and fighters died in a US drone strike on July 26 in Kot district of Afghanistan's Nangharhar province."
If true, he would be the latest high-profile militant leader killed by the US drone programme in the region.
